Bath Time
by AloofAndAndrogynous
Summary: Katara and Toph get to know each other during a nice bath in the hot springs...


_**Bath Time**_

Avatar: the Last Airbender does not belong to me, it is the property of Bryan Koneitzko and Michael DiMartino. I make no profit off this story and Toph and Katara do not belong to me, but the story is mine!

First Edition/Published 2006.10 Final Edition 2008.05

Katara smiled as she stood waist deep in the hot spring, wringing her damp hair before dunking underwater to wet it again. Hot springs were the best, and she luxuriated in the hot water's embrace as it soothed her sore muscles. Hot baths were such a rare treat, and she always took such delight in them. Honestly, ho wouldn't?

The hesitant shuffling of feet met her ears, and she looked up to see her blind comrade near the bank of the spring. Toph was shy and uncertain around water, and Katara did not blame her at all. She really needed to learn to swim, and baths in rivers and lakes were daunting for the so-called 'tough girl'. The Waterbender didn't have the same fear, but she empathized, for if one could not see where one was swimming, it would be scary. Usually the two of them bathed together, keeping a respectful distance from the other, and Katara would keep a eye out and warn the Earthbender from going too deep.

"Come in, Toph. The water's not too deep. There's no danger." the brown-haired girl said reassuringly. The blind girl nodded before slowly disrobing. Katara kept her eyes politely averted. Even though Toph would not know whether she was staring or not, it would be rude to take advantage of the girl's blindness. Small and pale feet slowly made their way to the very edge of the water, and a toe hesitantly slipped in. The older girl did not move to take Toph's hand, as the younger one was fiercely independent and did not want people holding her hand – figuratively and literally. She would only help Toph if the blind girl asked for it, so she waited patiently.

Soon enough, the younger girl was waist-deep, with a small smile on her face.

"It's nice." Toph said softly. Katara chuckled and nodded. The blind girl missed the hot baths she had when she was still living at home and while it was fun to be adventurous and all of that, there were a few things she missed.

"The baths back home were nice, it's one of the few things I miss about Gaoling." Toph said with a small smile as she took a couple steps further, the water now up to her stomach. Hot baths at home were less daunting, as she knew the dimensions of the tub clearly and was in no risk of drowning. But there had been servants to attend to her, and that had felt weird. Even though Katara was here with her, it was definitely different. Katara didn't fuss over her like a servant did, and that was something she appreciated.

"Hot baths are rare where I come from." Katara explained, "Practically nonexistent."

"I can't imagine living somewhere where it's cold all the time, even in the summer." Toph said dryly as she started to undo her hair.

"At least we don't have to put up with stifling heat." Katara commented as she ran her fingers through her hair. Toph chuckled softly and tossed her hairband to the bank, her thick black hair now flowing freely. She looked rather nice with her hair down, Katara thought. The girl carefully dunked herself and came up again, wringing her hair and repeating the process.

Toph 'glanced' in the other girl's direction. It was not hard to sense where she was because of the gentle sound of splashing. She could also sense Katara's presence from the earth, although it was a bit fuzzy because of the water.

"Katara… can I ask you something?" Toph asked softly. The other girl had seen her naked several times, and while Katara had been polite about their baths together, she felt that it was a bit unfair that she did not know what the other girl looked like. Sure, her Earth-sight told her Katara's shape, but that same sight could only tell her so much.

"Of course." Katara said in a gentle tone, which put the blind girl slightly at ease. Katara was like a big sister, and was more open with her than her own mother had been. She had asked Katara a few questions before, questions that she knew her own mother would be hesitant to answer. The older girl had always answered candidly, and she hoped that Katara would not be bothered with this question. She tried to stop the blush that she felt creeping into her own cheeks.

"I've… always wondered... what you look like. Could I...see?" she asked hesitantly. There was a bit of silence at first, permeated only by ambient noise from the forest that surrounded them, and she was afraid that she had gone too far.

The Water Tribe girl waited silently for a few moments. It was clear what Toph meant, and the question had thrown her off for a moment. The blind girl had never asked such a question before, for she had seemed content to assess people by what she saw through her sense of earth before.

The Waterbender moved closer to the dark-haired girl, gently taking her hands and picking them up. Toph seemed surprised, but did not do anything, and Katara led the small and pale hands to her own face. The younger girl looked relieved, and took a step closer, her hands slowly traveling up to Katara's forehead and hairline. Her fingers delicately danced along Katara's face, the pale fingertips traveling along the planes of dark skin. After she reached Katara's chin, she explored the face again, this time more firmly, pressing her palms against the other girl's face carefully. She mapped Katara's face in her mind, and felt a small smile on the other girl's face. Katara said nothing, waiting patiently.

"You're beautiful." Toph said softly, caressing Katara's cheeks, a small blush on her pale cheeks. A thumb ghosted along Katara's lips, and Toph felt a slight tremble. Her fingers trailed down the dark girl's throat, gently sliding along the collarbone. Katara stiffened a little, getting ready to stop the blind girl if she started to venture too far in her touching.

But Toph's smile was curious and disarming, and her hands slid along Katara's shoulders before grazing the top of her breasts.

"Wait a minute, Toph. I think you've seen enough now…" she said with a soft murmur, placing her hands lightly on Toph's own although she did not push them away.

"What's wrong? I'm not hurting you, am I?" Toph asked innocently.

"Oh, no you're not, but you're starting to touch a... private area... " Katara whispered. The blind girl blinked curiously.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I did not mean to…" Toph was now blushing even more from embarrassment, drawing her hands away. Katara quickly grabbed her hands and pulled them back to her cheeks.

"Don't worry, it's okay. You can touch me there, just a quick look, all right? I've seen yours, so here." Katara said softly. Toph relaxed and moved her hands down gently, trailing her fingers downwards to the breasts again, lowering her fingers even more. She noticed the swell of Katara's chest, something that her own was lacking in, and her fingers inadvertently stroked the nipples on their way southward.

Katara was unable to hold back a slight shiver as she felt this, and to her own shock, they hardened slightly. Toph did not miss this, and unable to hold back her curiosity, she returned her attention to the hardening nubs of flesh, pressing her fingertip against the left one.

The Water Tribe girl let out a soft whimper and took a step back, breaking the contact. Toph was suddenly aware that she may have overstepped her bounds, and put her hands down, feeling sorry that she might have offended her companion.

"I… I'm sorry…" the blind girl started to apologize, but Katara cut in.

"No, no. Let's just… wash ourselves." Katara said quickly before Toph could finish what she was saying. Toph felt awkward – which was rare for the blunt and hardheaded girl. She bit her lip, unsure of what to say, and started to take a step back when Katara spoke again.

"Would you like me to wash your back?" she asked softly. A wave of relief passed over Toph at the gentleness of her companion's voice, and she nodded. She stayed where she was, turning her back, and smiled to herself as she felt the washcloth make contact with her skin.

It felt lovely to have her back washed, and she held back a soft moan as Katara pressed the cloth in a firm but gentle manner, moving up and down in languorous strokes. She hated it when her own servants had tried to attend to her in her washroom – she was determined to hold onto her independence. But here, it did not feel as if Katara was trying to take any from her. She slumped just a little, relaxing under the gentle touch, and was unable to hold back a contented moan.

"That feels good…" she whispered and Katara smiled, continuing the attention for a bit more before drawing the washcloth away.

"Would you… like me to do the same for you?" Toph asked softly, wanting to reciprocate. In response, the Waterbender gently took her hand and pressed the washcloth into it before sweeping her hair over her shoulder, exposing her back.

Katara turned around and felt Toph's hand flutter onto her back, and in no time, she was slumping just a little under her companion's attention. Toph was gentle but firm, the washcloth moving along in purposeful strokes, the other hand resting on Katara's shoulder. She rather liked the feel of the Waterbender's flesh under her hands, and her attention continued, the washcloth moving in a gentle massage down Katara's spine. This innocent yet intimate activity made Toph feel odd. Not in a bad way, though. If the Earthbender had to describe it, she would call it fluttery and warm.

"Mmmh, I like that." Katara whispered and Toph smiled. Her hand moved to the small of Katara's back, moving the washcloth in slow circles there. Her other hand, the one that had been on the Water Tribe girl's shoulder, smoothly moved down to circle around Katara's waist, placing the older girl in a loose embrace.

Katara blinked in surprise, but as the embrace was light, she chose to not protest. It did strike her as a bit odd, as her companion was not a very affectionate person. She shivered a little as the small of her back was kneaded with the washcloth. Toph's breath whispered across the back of her neck.

Katara smelled so nice, that Toph could not resist the urge to press her lips to the dark-skinned girl's back. Her lips made contact with the bottom of Katara's nape, and it felt so warm and nice to her. Her companion shivered a little at the unexpected gesture and growing bolder, Toph pressed her lips against the area again, this time more firmly. When Katara made no move to stop her, she moved her lips along the shoulder, nuzzling her face in the soft crook between the two areas.

"Hm… what are you doing?" Katara asked softly, stiffening a little. Toph paused and raised her head, staring ahead blankly.

"It… feels good, right?" the blind girl asked.

"Well… yeah it does, but…" Katara whispered. Toph was already smiling, her fingers trailing along the Waterbender's sides. Katara's attention to her had felt so good that Toph hoped Katara would want to return the favor. The washcloth was now discarded, and her lips peppered the back of the Water Tribe girl's neck, placing a kiss just behind her left ear.

"Wait… why are you kissing me?" Katara asked, now finding that she felt slightly light-headed. Toph paused and bit her lip.

"Doesn't it… make you feel good?" Toph asked timidly, a tone that Katara had never heard from her before.

"Well... yes... but it's what... men and women do to each other..."

"But...If it feels good, why stop it? It's not hurting you, is it?" Toph asked, genuinely confused at the idea of it all, "If two women like each other, is it wrong?"

She only knew the barest facts of human reproduction, of the eel and the cavern, and did not associate that with what she was feeling now. As far as she was concerned, husbands and wives were only there to make babies. She knew that siblings, parents and children, friends were affectionate with each other at times. Hadn't Katara hugged Aang or Sokka before?

"I'm not sure, actually…" Katara replied to her companion's innocent question. Pale hands continued stroking along her sides and she had to admit, it felt good. She let her eyes flutter closed, concentrating on the blind girl's touch, and the feel of warm breath on the back of her neck. What was so wrong about this affection?

She barely noticed when Toph slowly circled around, and her eyelids fluttered open when Toph's nose touched her own. She found herself the recipient of a nuzzle, and their lips brushed against each other's. There was a soft blush on the pale girl's cheeks, and Katara was unsure whether the contact of lips had been an accident or not. The younger girl had been standing on tiptoe, and she lowered herself again, still blushing. Katara gently brushed the loose strands of hair from Toph's face, unsure of what to say.

"Let's finish the bath." Katara finally managed to say, only Toph shook her head. She reached up with a small hand to caress the side of Katara's neck, letting it run to her shoulder.

"You don't want to bathe?" the older girl asked with a bit of perplexment. Toph chuckled softly.

"It's not that. It's just… I… " Her hand continued its southward trail, slowly making it way down to Katara's breast. Before Katara could pull away, Toph hooked her other arm around her middle, keeping her close. Her hand continued to stroke gently as it traveled south, and a thumb grazed against the Waterbender's dusky nipple. Katara jumped a little in surprise, and Toph gently rubbed the swollen nub with her thumb, her face a curious combination of curiosity tinged with just a bit of hesitation, knowing that what she was doing was unorthodox.

"Why are you doing that?" Katara asked. Toph blushed harder.

"It's not fair… You get to see all of me. I think it's my turn… I don't want to hurt you, really. I just wanted to see…" The hand lifted off her nipple. Katara placed a gentle hand on her companion's shoulder, and blushed as Toph moved to cup her breasts carefully. Toph jiggled them slightly, her fingers squeezing experimentally. Her attention remained gentle though, and it seemed almost a surprise as Toph was usually so rough.

"Like what you see?" Katara asked. Toph smiled a little.

"Yes. They're very… nice. And soft…"

"Okay, I think you've seen enough of my breasts." Katara said, holding back a giggle. The barest of whimpers escaped Toph's lips.

"You want me to stop?" she asked, her thumbs grazing against Katara's nipples. The older girl was unable to deny how good it felt, and bit her lips.

"Now you know what I look like." Katara whispered, placing her hands on Toph's and gently nudging them away from her chest. Toph did not protest, and her hands slide lower, to Katara's stomach and hips, liking how the flesh curved.

"No I don't, Sugar Queen. Not yet, anyway…" A pale hand slid a little lower, circling Katara's navel. The older girl blushed, knowing what her companion meant.

"Ye… Yes, you do. That's a very private area…" Katara whispered as the hand inched lower. The hand stopped for a moment and Toph stared back at Katara.

"It will not hurt if I touch there, will it?" she asked with innocent curiosity. Katara held back a soft sigh.

"Well no, but it's a very private area, even more so than my chest... didn't your mother tell you?" she asked and Toph blinked in confusion.

"I… um, tell me what?" she asked. Of course, she knew that you were not just supposed to go up to people and touch their groins, but she did not see what was wrong with it in this particular situation. Katara held back a sigh, wondering how Toph's parents could have kept her ignorant. Did they think she was going to be a little girl forever?

"Well, that area is private… along with your breasts and a few other parts of your body."

"Why?"

"Well… no one else is supposed to touch you in these parts… except yourself and the person you love. Like your husband." Katara explained. Toph was silent for a few moments.

"Why? Is it against the law otherwise?" she asked, cocking her head. This struck Katara as amusing and she had to hold back a giggle.

"No, it's not actually illegal or anything. It… it's just a rule, one that's there for a good reason, so that strangers and other people cannot touch you or hurt you." Katara explained – knowing that the blind girl disliked rules. And she agreed with Toph on some of them, but some rules were good. The blind girl did not reply for several moments, but she finally nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry. I…"

"It's okay... you didn't know...you didn't do anything bad. Don't worry about it, really." Katara said. Toph smiled a little.

"Are we still friends?" she asked and Katara smiled.

"Of course we are." Katara said, placing Toph's hand on her face so the younger girl could 'see' her smile. The blind girl felt the smile then caressed Katara's cheek for several moments, a somber expression on her face.

"Katara...I know you said I'm not supposed to but...Could I please? I-It wont hurt...If you want you can touch me too, if it makes you feel comfortable... I just want to see." Toph said softly. She wanted to be touched as well… it had felt good receiving the other girl's attention. She continued to gently caress Katara's cheek, standing up on her toes for a moment to give the dark-skinned girl an affectionate nuzzle.

Katara stroked Toph's hair for several moments, considering the Earthbender's words. Would it be so wrong to let Toph touch her? They were both girls, after all, and all Toph wanted to do was see. She had even offered to let Katara touch her in return, a indication that she wanted things to be even between them. She had seen all of Toph before. Of course, she did not ogle the other girl or anything like that, but they had bathed together a few times and it was hard to not notice.

"Well, I guess you can. We're both girls, so I suppose there's nothing wrong with it."

Toph held back a soft sigh of relief and her hands came up to cup her companion's breasts, massaging them gently. They were just so soft, that it was nard to resist touching them.

Katara moaned softly, her eyelids fluttering a little at the gentle touch. What her companion was doing felt so good, and she did not want to pull away. A cool breeze whispered through the woods, and she shivered. Placing her hands on Toph's waist, she tugged down gently until both of them were squatting in the water, rather comfortable from the heat. The water stopped just below her chin, and it touched Toph's.

Toph found the erect nipples again and after rubbing them for a moment, she tweaked them simultaneously, catching them between her thumbs and index fingers and tugging lightly. Katara gasped softly and almost fell backwards. In response, she reached out to Toph's chest, doing the same thing and finding that the Earthbender's nipples had hardened as well. The younger girl gave out a soft 'eep' of surprise and flashed her companion a smile before letting go of Katara's breasts. She found Katara's own hands and pressed them gently to her own chest, wanting some attention of her own.

Getting the message, the Waterbender pressed her palms to Toph's almost nonexistent breasts, feeling the taut nipples under her hands. It was clear that the pale-skinned girl was enjoying the attention and as there was nothing that she could actually squeeze, Katara started rubbing in slow circles. Toph let out a soft whine and squirmed a little, her eyelids fluttering in pleasure.

Toph wondered if this was why this was a private place… there was no denying how good this felt. She smiled a little, cocking her head to one side and closing her eyes as the gentle rubbing continued. There was a certain warmth between her legs, one that she had never felt before. Her own hands reached up to play with Katara's chest, cupping and massaging the breasts, eliciting a moan from the older girl, one that she herself echoed.

Finally, Toph broke away from the soft mounds of flesh, her fingers trailing southward. Katara let go of her companion, and waited patiently. When the fingers approached the dark-skinned girl's groin, she placed her hand over Toph's, pausing her for a moment.

"Mmm. Be careful, okay?" she asked softly. Toph nodded and Katara let go of her hand. She stared ahead blankly, continuing slowly and gasping softly when her fingertips brushed against wiry curls.

"Is something wrong, Toph?" Katara asked. Toph was silent for a few moments as she stroked the small nest of hair.

"Do all girls have this?" she asked softly. Katara smiled a little.

"Not when I was your age, no. It comes with womanhood..You get a little between your legs. But it's normal." Katara explained. Toph nodded.

"You'll tell me anything I need to know, right?" Toph asked.

"Of course I will." Katara replied. Her companion smiled and gave the nether hair one final stroke before moving lower. She could not help but shiver as she found the top of Katara's slit. It did not feel any different from her own, and her fingers slid down further, lightly as she explored the area between her companion's legs.

"It doesn't feel different from mine." Toph observed.

"It's not supposed to." Katara replied with a soft laugh. "It's one of the things that will not change." she added and Toph smirked a little.

**(this part of the story is too steamy and spicy for FFNet standards. You can find the complete/uncut version of this chapter by following the links in my profile)**

"You okay?" Katara asked gently, stroking her cheek. She nodded.

"Yeah… it felt so good…" she whispered and was responded to with another nuzzle.

"We should be getting back, the boys will be expecting us." Katara murmured, her heart pounding. Had she just molsted a girl, and allowed the girl to do the same to her? Her heart was pounding, and she definitely felt light-headed now. Taking several moments to collect her senses, she carefully eased the Earthbender off her lap and Toph was a bit startled, treading water for a moment before regaining her footing.

"Next time you do that, warn me!" Toph scolded her companion. Katara reached for Toph's hand, pulling her close.

"I'll teach you how to swim. It's a valuable skill and it will help you be less afraid of the water in case something happens." she said softly. Toph glanced blankly in her direction.

"I don't plan to swim around for fun… I prefer my feet on solid ground."

"I know and I do not blame you, but it is good to know, just in case, you know? Lots of people think they will not need to learn something only to find that they do need it later. Remember Serpent's Pass?" she suggested. Toph paused and nodded.

With Katara's help, Toph was floating in the water on her tum, which was supported by the Waterbender's hand. Her arms and legs were paddling through the water and she smiled a little to herself, feeling confident with her companion around. Usually, she was so brave, going into things with a hard head, but water was one of the few things she was very insecure about.

She felt safe with Katara's hand on her tum, and her limbs moved through the water purposefully. Her movements became surer, and Katara smiled in approval.

"That's good, Toph. You're off to a great start. We'll practice more next time. Maybe tomorrow morning before the boys wake up?" she said, Toph pouted a little, not wishing to get dressed and return to the company of the boys. Katara did not miss this and tickled her companion gently, and Toph squirmed around with a giggle.

"K… Katara! Hah! Stop!"

"Make me!" Katara laughed, and Toph wiggled then suddenly twisted around and wrapped her limbs around Katara, hooking her hands and feet together. Katara could not help but laugh at the small creature that had wrapped itself around her, snuggling its head against her chest. Toph's arms hung around her neck and her legs were wrapped just below Katara's hips. The older girl smiled and placed her hands on Toph's rear, pulling her up a bit, and Toph wiggled against her.

"Having fun?" Katara asked with a small smile and Toph shot a grin back at her.

The two of them did not take long to finish washing, and led Toph over to a rock ledge so she could dry herself, laying a towel within the blind girl's reach. Katara quickly scooped up all of the clothes and dumped them into the water as Toph dried herself. She swished around all the clothes in the water with her bending skills before pulling them all out. Using her bending again, Katara pulled out all the water, leaving the clothes clean and dry.

As Katara climbed onto the ledge to dry herself, Toph wrung her hair, squeezing out all the excess water and leaving it hanging, planning to twist it into her usual bun in a few minutes.

"Want me to braid it for you?" Katara asked. Toph paused before she nodded, and Katara pulled the ebony locks into a simple braid. Toph fingered it for a few moments. It was different from her usual style but it was not bad. All in all, tonight had turned out to be rather good. And she definitely wanted more. What she had done with Katara... it had felt a bit naughty, but at the same time it had felt so... _right_.

"Thanks." Toph smiled.

"You're welcome. Now get dressed, okay?" she asked, separating Toph's clothes from her own and placing them within her reach. The two of them were dressed in no time, enjoying the clean feel of their clothes very much. Katara scooped up the towels and bath things in one arm before starting to head back to camp. Before she could get too far, she felt a small hand on her own and felt a soft squeeze.

She smiled at the younger girl and squeezed back, seeing a small blush on Toph's cheeks. Before she knew it, the Earthbender had wrapped her arms around her in a fierce hug.

"Thank you." Toph whispered and Katara smiled, stroking her cheek.


End file.
